First corps commander to be killed

infomanpa

1st Lieutenant
Joined
Feb 18, 2017
Location
Pennsylvania
Jesse Reno was the first corps commander to be killed during the Civil War on September 14, 1862. He was involved in action at Fox's Gap in South Mountain as Union troops attacked Southern defenses. I am posting my photo to mark the 156th anniversary of this event.
20180911_163041.jpg
 
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5886901/jesse-lee-reno

Took a few minutes and looked him up- what a loss he must have been? Career Army, Mexican War then service in Utah.

Article said he taught math at West Point, must have been a bright guy. Had to surrender the arsenal on Alabama before the war even started.

From Gettysburg College Special Collections ( you may use content if you source it back to them, those peaches ). A West point album from 1861.

reno crop.jpg
 
It would be quite a coincidence if he was indeed killed by friendly fire. Thomas J. Jackson was a West Point classmate and good friend, of course also killed by friendly fire.

I see no reference to any relation to Marcus Reno, of 7th cavalry "fame". Marcus Reno was at Antietam as well as several battles after. Both men's ancestors changed the spelling of the last name although from different original spellings.

While Jesse Reno appeared to be a stellar soldier, Marcus' military service was rocky at best. (Sorry for the thread drift)



Dan
 
Jesse Reno was the first corps commander to be killed during the Civil War on September 14, 1862. He was involved in action at Fox's Gap in South Mountain as Union troops attacked Southern defenses. I am posting my photo to mark the 156th anniversary of this event.
View attachment 203944
Visited this site in July. He was a very promising officer and many of his superiors expected great things of him.
 
... I see no reference to any relation to Marcus Reno, of 7th cavalry "fame". Marcus Reno was at Antietam as well as several battles after. Both men's ancestors changed the spelling of the last name although from different original spellings.

While Jesse Reno appeared to be a stellar soldier, Marcus' military service was rocky at best. (Sorry for the thread drift)



Dan
The only outstanding service for Marcus I'm aware of, which seemed creditable even if it didn't really produce any results, was his involvement as a regimental commander in the Winchester area involved in the negotiations for the surrender of John S. Mosby, the Gray Ghost, in 1865 following Lee's surrender. Mosby talked with a group of officers including Reno but was scared off by a warning that they intended only in taking him prisoner, which was actually false. Instead of surrendering, Mosby disbanded his command and went into semi-hiding until he was persuaded no one would interfere with him, which unfortunately also turned out to be false!
 
At Antietam Marcus Reno was the commander of a battalion of the 1st U.S. Cavalry assigned to the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac. The Antietam of the Web site states the unit was assigned as a quartermaster guard during the Maryland Campaign.
http://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?unit_id=147
You might be interested to know that earlier in the year 1862 at Pea Ridge/Elkhorn Tavern, Arkansas there was a certain captain commanding a company in a Missouri cavalry regiment named Fred Benteen who brought forward a battery at a critical moment!
 
I'm now reading "unholy Sabbath, the battle of South mountain" by Brian Jordan. Very good book about this often overlooked battle. I haven't been able to visit the battlefield yet but look forward to this fall. Thanks for picture. Makes me want to go all the more!
 
It is possible that Reno was a victim of friendly fire. John Michael Priest blogged about the possibility and gave reasons he believe support the idea.
Interesting. Some other sources imply his death was the result of Hood's division's counterattack late in the day. The 35th Mass. was one of the regiments directly in their path and Reno was in that area at the time.
 
Back
Top